The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

I have played the game for over 500 (in words: five hundred) hours now, 415 hours on the PC, and certainly over 100 hours on the Xbox. The game was fun until it started crashing to desktop randomly. Ever since that point, I have tried everything in order to make it run smoothly again:

• I have updated all my drivers to the latest versions• I have lowered the graphics and details• I have disabled and re-enabled all modifications• I have cleaned those modifications that according to BOSS needed cleaning with TES5Edit• I have replaced the cleaned files with the backup files of the uncleaned versions• I have uninstalled and re-installed the core game as well as the official DLCs• I have made sure that it was a clean re-installation by means of eradicating left-over files and cleaning the registry, and then rebooting the system before re-installing the game• I have started new games with new characters• I have played with and without modifications• I have made sure that no fancy changes, such as uGridsToLoad=7/9/11, apply to both the skyrim.ini and the skyrimprefs.ini• I have verified my files• I have checked all modifications for errors and conflicts with BOSS• I have changed the loading order of plugins• I have disabled ffdshow• I have enabled and disabled the Unoffical Skyrim Patch, the Unofficial Dawnguard Patch, the Unofficial Hearthfires Patch, the Unofficial Dragonborn Patch• I have lowered the shadow details from ultra to high to medium to low• I have played the game with SKSE both enabled and disabled• I have changed and reset my graphics card settings• I have disabled my external hard drive• I have made sure that all unnecessary programs are closed when I start the game• I have checked my CPU’s core temperature• I have granted the game more RAM• I am sure, I have done even more, but I ceased to keep track

The result is: the game keeps crashing to desktop at random, for no apparent reason, without any error message. It has become extremely frustrating because the game may crash at any time: during walking, fighting, before or after a fight, entering or exiting regions, before, while, or after transforming into a werewolf, after killing a dragon, before or after absorbing a dragon soul, after looting a corpse, and so forth indefinitely. Several times I thought I had discovered what caused the RCTDs (random crashes to desktop), only to be left dumbfounded by the game when it randomly crashed to desktop at some other point. Interestingly, when I reload the game and do the same thing again, it works perfectly fine in most cases. Yet having to stop every 100 feet in order to save and then crash at some other unexpected point of the game is simply too much for my nerves. It is not fun any longer but simply annoying and frustrating.Thus, unless anyone has a solution at hand – trust me, I have searched the internet time and again for solutions –, I regret to say: I QUIT!

He already said he's tried to play with and without mods, so he's taken that into consideration.

I would say try playing a new game with no mods activated (I didn't see that combination up there.) It is possible for some save files to become unstable - some mods can accelerate or cause this.

It might be worth it to make sure that you're computer is still performing well enough to handle the game (though I kinda doubt this would be the cause of your CTDs, since you've tested with lowering the graphics.)

As I mentioned in my list of what I have tried in order to make the game run smoothly again, I have modifications, and I tried about everything you can do about them: enable, disable, install, uninstall, re-install, clean.

My computer specifications (as far as I deem them relevant) are as follows:

He already said he's tried to play with and without mods, so he's taken that into consideration.

I would say try playing a new game with no mods activated (I didn't see that combination up there.) It is possible for some save files to become unstable - some mods can accelerate or cause this.

It might be worth it to make sure that you're computer is still performing well enough to handle the game (though I kinda doubt this would be the cause of your CTDs, since you've tested with lowering the graphics.)

Does your xbox game crash too? Are you using the save file from your computer on the xbox? That might points more towards an unstable save file.

Thank you for your reply.

I optimized everything about my computer.

My Xbox game only crashes when I play so long that the console overheats or when I ride on a horse for more than a few hundred feet. And no, I do not use any save file from my computer on the Xbox or vice versa.

You see, this is what actually frustrates me. I have tried so many things I read on the internet. The problem is that the CTDs literally occur at random: There is absolutely no system in the crashes; most of the time, I can do everything without any issues, but then suddenly, it crashes to desktop. I enter and exit regions, fight and kill opponents, absorb dragon souls, learn dragon shouts without any problem. Then, at some random point, the game crashes to desktop.

how it it possible to have 168.5 hours of play time in 2 weeks? 24x14= 336 , that's 12 hours a day ! maybe you do need a break , and if you're done , you're done . no need to throw a tantrum over it , you might get more help if your request for help did'nt come off as a demand from a spoiled kid

the crashing issues could be any number of things from a bad driver to an errant program ,

how it it possible to have 168.5 hours of play time in 2 weeks? 24x14= 336 , that's 12 hours a day ! maybe you do need a break , and if you're done , you're done . no need to throw a tantrum over it , you might get more help if your request for help did'nt come off as a demand from a spoiled kid

the crashing issues could be any number of things from a bad driver to an errant program ,

Although it does not concern you, I had two weeks off, so I could play the game for several hours a day. Yes, of course, it might be anything, but what I need to know is where to search for the cause of the problem. As you see, I have already tried the most common fixes for CTDs.

well for one thing thats a laptop , i bet it gets pretty hot running that many hours straight , you might also want to list the active mids you are using at the moment , and your load order , you might check and see if they need to be updated , or if some are no longer compatible with others , you might want to see if other people are having issue with the game using whatever gpu driver you're using ,

well for one thing thats a laptop , i bet it gets pretty hot running that many hours straight , you might also want to list the active mids you are using at the moment , and your load order , you might check and see if they need to be updated , or if some are no longer compatible with others , you might want to see if other people are having issue with the game using whatever gpu driver you're using ,

Yes, it does get hot, but I monitored temperatures, and they remained normal, that is to say, the temperatures did not rise anywhere near to their maximum limit. Besides, the crashes occur at random even with respect to the time I have been playing and the temperature rise. The game may run fine for an hour or two without crashing, or it may crash after five minutes.

I currently run the following modifications (in their actual loading order):

my solution:1. go through your mods and get rid of the ones you dont use.2. stop using SKSE and programs that require it...do you really need that run/jump mod that doesnt work or the special UI or the added ten trillion weird mounts you dont actualy use?3. try to not use boss....yes it works and helps you bypass issues....but its not helping....its bypassing only thus leaving instabilities and conclficts there.4. realize that you overdid the mods.....try to keep this all in mind.....so that with the next elder scrolls game or whatever you dont over do it.

I have over 700+ hours...and no instabilities.....just some interesting things i learned....like never put a bunch of npcs in a small house and try to make a harem....or never run all over skyrim leaving dragons all over.

Didn't see how long it takes before you crash to desktop, but have you tried playing any other games similar to this (reqs on pc), for as long, to see if perhaps it's your computer that is having some sort of issue. EG. Fallout Vegas, Oblivion, Crysis, etc.

I'm a heavy modder myself, and while I use BOSS, nexus mod manager, and tes5edit somehow I eventually got so convoluted once I had similar issue. The problem I still am unsure of what it was, I fixed it but only can make a guess. Some older mods especially used to mess with scripts, Sounds Of Skyrim especially was notorious. They used to work fine but after an update they started causing problems and every save was corrupted pretty much. The safe uninstall for SoS was no help, but then I am not sure that was even the mod that was problem, i only know it was effecting save file size. I finally just did a scorched earth policy....

I deleted my entire data directory, my skyrim.ini, and skyrimpref, and cleaned skyrim directory of ALL enb related, shader related files and SKSE (I noted there were several versions of skse in my directory....perhaps that also was problem.

In any case after this I had steam verify cache and of course it was missing a lot, I let it update and left the pc to do it's thing, after it ran I verified cache again, it found more files. Just let it do it's thing. I tested vanilla Skyrim afterwards, and it worked fine. Then I added ONLY enb series, and my enb mod, tested it worked fine, I then added skse and sky ui tested again ....worked, then I started to add my favorite mods a few at a time, testing as i went.....I ONLY, ONLY ONLY add mods now through Nexus mod manager and their site.....part of the reason is i have noticed that the Steam workshop has been slow to remove problem older mods.....and really BOSS runs best with it. There is nothing wrong in itself to getting mods via Steam Workshop...but I find Nexus Mod Manager to just be more useful if everything is done through it. (Also, I like that I can quickly see what date i installed a mod....this helps as i can sometimes figure out a bug by what mods were installed, and finding the file date that is cuasing issue.)

I have no idea which mod had the issue I now have pretty much everything I had before, main differences are that now there's no workshop BSA's and I know ALL files added are recent. I am pretty sure it was a scripting issue because my old saves save the ones in Helgen keep will not load now....given I have the same mods again....it seems clear one of the older mods had a scripting bug that corrupted saves. Anyway, it's scorched earth, and a pain, but it worked.

and yeah what the person said above try similar games like fallout and oblivion see if they crash..if they do you have either a hardware issue, or more likely some other program or service is causing issues. I also just thought of another issue try disabling "cloud" support for the game I have noticed sometimes it doesn't work, and if it can't update that will cause game to lock up. That's a Steam issue.

If you have the high res texture packs installed, try removing them. Frequently the random crash to desktop is when you run out of video memory.Your 2gb isn't that much. The 3gb 560m in my laptop sometimes runs out in Skyrim. But I have the texture packs.

2. stop using SKSE and programs that require it...do you really need that run/jump mod that doesnt work or the special UI or the added ten trillion weird mounts you dont actualy use?

They will take away my SKSE from my cold dead hands, I'd build a new computer before I stopped using the mods that need it. First SKYUI is the ONLY UI, and makes many mods settings so easy to change in game. Several mods I could not live without like the parry mod require it, it that allows you to parry your sword (block with new button) still while duel wield, and or spell in off hand. I can't live without that mod now. As long as you have latest SKSE and files I have had no problems with it.